Anchor for gratings



Oct. 23, 1951 w. A. BATES ANCHOR FOR GRATINGS Filed March 1, 1946 Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT oF'Fic E-i a s'zzaai Walter A. Bates,J(;l let, ill iiss'iiitr to Beulah H. Bates, Joliet, III.

a Amman Mirth 1, 1946, Serial No. 651,219-

I 1 V J g The present invention relates to improvements in anchors for grat ngs- More particular the "ffesentf invention re"- lats to means foi an'cho'ri'ng gratings such, for example as those used in .the 'floors ,of iridustrial: plants and me like, Gratingso'f the kind referred to are-commonl formed oi a plurality of parallel bars called main bars, connectedfiy meansof cross bars, the assembly forming a adapted 5a supported upon side mem hers which may take the form of structural steel shapes oi know contour.

An object of thepr'esent invention is to proviae, improved. means for holding a grating securely in position upon a supporting member,

A further object is to provide an improved anchor which may be readily assembled and disassembled and which in service performs its function efliclently. g

A fur her o ie tis 9 r i e an anc r wh is made upof'simpleparts, ifzh ch may be handied as a unit and' which is easy to install and release.

A further obiect is to provide an anchor for gratings well a apted to meet the needs en countered in service. .r

Further objects willappear as the description pr ceeds. 7

Referring to the draWings- Figure 1 is a view insectional elevation taken throu h a grat ng ha ina ap ied thereto one embodiment of the present invention;

Fi ure 2 is a t p plan view of the structure Th'ei numerals Ill-l0 indicate the main bars of the grating,and the numerals H l| indi: cate cross bars which extend through apertures in the said main bars and-hold said main bars securely in. spaced parallel' relationship 'l'he top-edgesofi said main bars Hl l0 ordinarily lie. ina single plane and-the bottom edges of sai d bars lieinanothermane. The; numeral 5 baa-i; (o1. life-s4) r m-at siirface far we reception or ends or this j'm alfi T: m mm. anchor? for holding the g ating, position numeral I 3. Said; anchor. comprises the follow ng part th'e holding member M: th bolt I bfav ,tlieh d fi'np ov 'd jd. w th the ci river s og IfLsaid b 'lt being upset at its at 1; ear 1,18; man als; and the'lamp rm, b T 1 9 di ml li ma b 'a el tl st metalwhich may be stamped .outof a flat sheet n a whs sh p a llu ats afi A 3. nd fia i ld n m m r l mimics th i e e h i i afi ne a th eqt the downwardly extending leg .22, ;having:=th e extension 522a adapted to be bent alongthe linef indicated by the numeral zt The other endotthe cross member is provided with the; upwardlyextended leg 24, which is bent over to providethe fiat portion 25. Said .fiat. portion is bentdownwardly as indicated by, the -num era 1; 2, Said leg 24 and the portion 26 are spaced apart a distance ,suflicient to receive a main bar q. In other words a leg 24 and the. portions Hand 25 provide a U-shapedpartadapted to lnfold the top portion of. the bar (0. The. portion $6 is bent along the line indicated by the numeral 21 to form the flange 28,, said flange being pro-t vided with an. aperture 29 for snugly receiving thebolt l5. l. V p

The numeral 20vindicates, as a whole, a clamp forming apart of the anchor. l3. Said clainp 20 is preferably made of spring material and comprises the flat portion 30 having the slotj g of a size sufficient to receive the bolt l5. flat portion 3llat one end thereof is provided with the circularly formed portion 32, said circularly formed portion terminating in the two approximately parallel finaers 33-33 disposed in plane preferably a little above the upper sur-- face of the fiat portion 30 1f the "lamp. The slot 31 preferably exten s, we l into the portion. 32

the bolt'v lS-for convenience in assembly,

5 indicated above; the anchor .1 pigfeii I s r ed i' th an i fe 2.9. lin n hibr.

If iiidica'jtes an angle member presenting a 5611- 'bending the extension 22a of the leg 22 about the an the angi' 12, is indicated as, a; wuqmpy is p lower edge of a main bar It, said tool, which is indicated by the numeral 34, includes the bar portion 35 provided with the foot 36 extendin from one side of one extremity thereof. The opposite side of the bar 35 is provided with a plurality of notches forming teeth 36--36. As indidated in Figure 6, the foot 36 may be located against one side of the extension 22a at a region slightly belowthe bar I 0. The next adjacent bar ill will be engaged by one of the teeth 31-31 and the bar 35 may be swung to bend the extension In practice, the thickness of the horizontal portion of the angle member l2 will vary. Consequently, the circularly formed portion 32 of the clamp 20 should be made large enough to take care of the greatest thickness likely to be encountered in the said angle member l2. By reason of resiliency of the circularly formed portion 32 of the clamp, the proper balance of pres- 22a around the bottom of the bar It! with which a it is associated.

The method of installing the anchor'l'3 accord ing to the present invention may be substantially as follows, reference being had, by way of example, to Figures 1 to 6.

The anchor will be inserted from abovethe grating. At this time the extension 22a,of the leg 22 will be in substantially the same plane as said leg 22, that is-in the position indicated in broken lines in Figure 4. The clamp will have the portion 30 thereof disposed in approximately parallel relationship with the mainibars Ill so that the bolt 15 and the clamp 30 may be inserted between adjacent main bars Ill-l0, the leg 24 and the portion 26- being disposed in in-. folding relationship with one of the main bars ID, with the fiat portion engaging the top of said main bar. Inasmuch as the clamp 20 may be tipped relative to the bolt I5, interference with'the edge of the angle member [2 and with a'cross bar Il may beavoided. The clamp 20 will then be turned about the axis of the bolt l5 through an angle of approximately 90 into the position indicated in broken lines in Figure 3. This clears the way so that the extension 22a of the leg 22 may be bent about the line 23, that isabout the lower edge of the cooperating main bar I 0, whereby said extension 22a will be located in the position indicated in full lines in Figures 3 and 4 in a position approximately parallel with the flange 28. The clamp will then be swung back into its position parallel with the main bars l0--|U, that is-at right angles to the len th of the angle member l2. The bolt 5 is then screwed through the nut l9, tightening the fiat portion 30 of the clamp 20 against the underside of the extendin portion of the angle member l2. The portion 32 of the clamp 20 is located sufficiently close to the bolt 15 to prevent turning of the nut 19 throughout any very considerable degree. In other words. though the slot 3| permits a certain amount of tip ing between the clamp 20 and the bolt l5, said slot will not permit movement of the bolt to a sufiicient distance toward the right as the parts are viewed in Figure l to allow the nut I9 to clear the portion 32 of the clamp 20.

The fingers 33-33 of the clamp 20 will engage the underside of the extension 22a, which is now in horizontal position en a ing the undersurfaces of several of the main bars III-l0.

The invention has a number of practical advantages. among which may be mentioned the fact that the extension 22a of the holding member 14, being located against the undersides of several main bars Ill-l0, holds said clamping member l4 securely against vertical movement with respect to the grating. A further advantage resides in the fact thatthe horizontally disposed extension 22a forms a seat for the fingers 33--33 ofthe clamp 20. This balances the pressure on the-clamp 20 created by the action of tightening zligainst the undersurface of the angle member sure on said clamp is insured regardless of variations, within limits, in the thickness of the member l2.

, By reason of the tipping relationship between the clamp 20 and the bolt l 5 provided by the slot 3| and'the'slot between the fingers 33-33, movement of the anchor through the grating is greatly facilitated.

By reason of the fact that the bolt l5 fits snugly within the aperture 29, the advantage is had that whenthe bolt I5 is tightened, the flange 28 will be bent downwardly out of approximately parallel relationship with the extension 22a thereby pinching the bolt I5, thereby resisting any tendency of .said bolt to loosen in service.

It will be understood, of course, that it is not necessary, in the practice of the present invention, to provide an elongatedcross member 2| (Figure 4), it being perfectly feasible to have the extension 22 in line with the leg 24. In this case, at one or more of the bends such as at the line 21 and/or the line 23, and/or at the edges bounding the flat portion 25, there would be a slight oflset so that by the time the member 22a is in the horizontal position illustrated in full lines in Figure 4, said member 22a would be sufficiently offset to clear the bolt l5.' The same result may be attained by providing a loose fit between the leg 24 and the portion 26 with respect to the main bar I0 whereby the extension 22a may be moved to one side a suflicient distance to clear the bolt l5.v

Though certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an anchor, a clamp having an elongated flat portion and a curved portion, said curved portion being curved around an axis parallel with said flat portion and at right angles to the length of said flat portion, said clamp having an elongated slot disposed in said flat portion and extending into the adjacent part of said curved portion, the other extremity of said curved portion being flattened and being provided with a slot facing said first mentioned slot in said flat portion.

2. An anchor for a grating including, in combination, a holding member which includes a folded over portion adapted to infold the top portion of a bar of a grating, said folded over portion being provided with a flange having an aperture therein, said holding member being prosaid flat portion and said curved portion being providedwith a slot, the extremity of said curved portion being also provided with a slot. said first mentioned slot receiving said bolt, said second mentioned slot being also adapted to receive said bolt, and a nut upon said bolt, said head of said bolt and said nut being adapted to apply clamping pressure on said holding member and said clamp when said holding member and said clamp are in operative position on said bar.

3. An anchor for a grating including, in combination, a holding member which includes a folded over portion adapted to infold the top portion of a bar of a grating, said folded over portion being provided with a flange having an aperture therein, said holding member being provided with an extension bendable into operative position approximately parallel with said flange, displaced from the projected area of said aperture, a bolt extending through said aperture, said bolt having a head and a clamp including a flat portion and a resilient curved portion at the end of said flat portion, said clamp at the junction of said flat portion and said curved portion being provided with a slot, the extremity of said curved portion being also provided with a slot, said first mentioned slot receiving said bolt, said second mentioned slot being also adapted to receive said bolt, and a nut upon said bolt, said first mentioned slot being so positioned as to hold said nut sumciently close to said curved portion so that said curved portion will limit rotative movement of said nut, said head of said bolt and said nut being adapted to apply clamping pressure on said holding member and said clamp when said holding member and said clamp are in operative position on said bar.

4. An anchor for a grating including, in combination, a holding member which includes a folded over portion adapted to infold the top portion of a bar of a grating, said folded over portion being provided with a flange having an aperture therein, said holding member being provided with an extension bendable into operative position approximately parallel with said flange, displaced from the projected area of said aperture, a bolt extending through said aperture, said bolt having a head and a clamp including a flat portion and a resilient curved portion at the end of said flat portion, said clamp at the junction of said flat portion and said curved portion being provided with a slot, the extremity of said curved portion being also provided with a slot, said first mentioned slot receiving said bolt, said second mentioned slot being also adapted to receive said bolt, and a nut upon said bolt, said bolt having a head provided with a screw-driver slot, the other end of said bolt being upset, said head of said bolt and said nut being adapted to apply clamping pressure on said holding member and said clamp when said holding member and said clamp are in operative position on said bar.

5. An anchor for a grating including, in combination, a holding member which includes a folded over portion adapted to infold the top portion of a bar of a grating, said folded over portion being provided with a flange having an aperture therein, said holding member being provided with an extension bendable into operative position approximately parallel with said flange, displaced from the projected area of said aperture, a bolt extending through said aperture, said bolt having a head and a clamp including a flat portion and a resilient curved portion at the end of said flat portion, said clamp at the junction of said flat portion and said curved portion being provided with a slot, the extremity of said curved portion being also provided with a slot, said first mentioned slot receiving said bolt, said second mentioned slot being also adapted to receive said bolt, and a nut upon said bolt, said first mentioned slot being so positioned as to hold said nut sufficiently close to said curved portion so that curved portion will limit rotative movement of said nut, said bolt having a head provided with a screw-driver slot, the other end of said bolt being upset, said head of said bolt and said nut being adapted to apply clamping pressure on said holding member and said clamp when said holding member and said clamp are in operative position on said bar.

WALTER A. BATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,707,533 Nagin Apr, 2, 1929 2,117,519 Snyder May 17, 1938 2,175,453 Barcy Oct. 10, 1939 2,250,653 Safiord July 29, 1941 2,403,842 Bates July 9, 1946 2,409,966 Voty Oct. 22, 1946 2,433,772 Lyons Dec. 30, 1947 

